The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:462] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Miss Elizabeth Johnstone (Betty; Mrs Betty; Johnston; of Westerhall) (Patient) / March? 1772? / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Miss Johnston of Westerhall'
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 462 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/3/45 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | March? 1772? |
Annotation | None |
Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | No |
Regimen | No |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply, 'For Miss Johnston of Westerhall' |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:170] |
Case of Miss 'Betty' Johnstone of Westerhall who is recovering from a serious condition which had rendered her unable to walk. Cullen advises a trip to Bath or a course of sweating. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1087] | Patient | Miss Elizabeth Johnstone (Betty; Mrs Betty; Johnston; of Westerhall) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1088] | Other | Mr Clapperton |
Places linked to this document
Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Therapeutic Recommendation | Bath | South-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Miss Johnston of Westerhall
From Mr Clappertons account I am glad to find that Miss J.
has been mending for some time past & I have no doubt but that a good
summer will recover her entirely. However our summers are too precarious
to be truested trusted & I am of opinion that Miss Johnstons recovery
may be greatly promoted by a means I formerly hinted at that is,
sweating by means of Dovers Powder -- As the effect of this depends
much upon the proper management & this I find is not commonly
understood, I shall here give my opinion about the conduct of it.
The dose at first may be twenty grains but if that shall be
found to have little effect it may in after trials be increased to
thirty or forty grains --
The dose is to be given only in the morning & the sweating is to
be carried on through the day when it can be better managed & with
less inconvenience than in the night time
For bearing it more easily Miss J. must have on a flannel
shirt & be laid entirely in blankets. At first & till the sweat breaks
out she may be covered with more blankets than usual & during
the whole time of her sweating her feet & legs may have more covering
than usual but as soon as the sweat breaks out freely, the additional
blankets may be taken of the upper parts of her body, for it is of consiqu
consequence to carry on the sweating with as little heat as possible.
It is proper to make the Dose of powder into a Bolus & let it be
swallowed in a wafer that the taste may raise no squeamishness.
At best the dose is liable to do this and even to cause vomiting which by
throwing up the powder is liable to disappoint us of its effects. For avoiding this
Miss J: should take no kind of drink for an hour or more after taking the powder
& it is not usefull to take any till she pretty warm & some sweat begins to appear
on her face -- Then she may take a little of any ↑weak↑ warm drink & by degrees
take it more freely & frequently while the sweat continues. - The drink
may be Balm or wek weak sage tea or sometimes weak bohea tea or she
may take water gruel or a weak whitewine whey & sometimes a weak
beef tea or chicken water. It will I expect be understood that this variety
is proposed that she may have a drink adapted to her taste and to support her
[Page 2]
spirits & strength if necessary, for a good deal of drink is proper to
make the sweat flow more easily & with less heat from the quantity of
bedcloathes.
When she is first laid to sweat her arms & hands must be kept
close under the bedcloathes and a bottle of warm water or hot bricks
may be put to her feet but as soon as the sweat is established if the
heat is very uneasy, the hot things may be taken from her feet, the
the bedcloaths may be looser & she may put out a hand but all this
only to moderate a great & uneasy heat.
If she can bear it the sweat should be continued for 12 hours,
but it is by no means necesary that a profuse sweat (↑that it↑) should
be a profuse sweat during all that time. It is enough that it
be gentle, especially if it be pretty equal over her whole body
& limbs. When it has continued for ten or twelve hours her
flannel shift & even the blankets next her body may be
changed but with due caution, first drying her skin with warm
towels & taking care that her clean shift is very dry & moderately
warm. After shifting she should continue abed till next morning
but she may lay out her arms & lighten the bedcloathes to avoid
further sweating ---
It will be better that she does not sleep any during the
sweat but at any time she any desire for it she may take a
little bread & broth, a hartshorn jelly melted or a little panada
for her nourishment, & especially what she pleases of these
kinds after the sweat is over.
The night after the sweat she should take care that
she lies pretty close & that the bedcloathes are not anyways
thrown off her. For the next day she should keep her chamber
or otherwise take care that she is not exposed to any cold
If the sweat has proceeded easily & continued the due
time she will be able to judge the effects of it upon her ailments
If she is much healed & gets a headach or if she is much exhausted
with little relief from it I would promise very good effects from
the repeating it once or twice more & I expect it will put her soon
in a good condition to bear a journey to Bath or where she pleases.
[Page 3]
Let care be taken that her belly be regular when she is to try
the sweat & that it be kept regular in the interval of sweatings.
If Miss J gets much (↑the↑) relief I expect by sweating she will not need
to take any any more Bark or other medicine & what will do her most
service will be a Journey.
I believe that moderate bathing with a good deal of exercise
interposed at Bath may be of service service to her but I think the
drinking of Bath water is a doubtfull medcine & to be tried with
great caution
What I think is of the utmost consequence to Miss J.
is the avoiding cold &c.
Diplomatic Text
For Miss Johnston of Westerhall
From Mr Clappertons account I am glad to find that Miss J.
has been mending for some time past & I have no doubt but that a good
summer will recover her entirely. However our summers are too precarious
to be truested trusted & I am of opinion that Miss Johnstons recovery
may be greatly promoted by a means I formerly hinted at that is,
sweating by means of Dovers Powder -- As the effect of this depends
much upon the proper management & this I find is not commonly
understood, I shall here give my opinion about the conduct of it.
The dose at first may be twenty grains but if that shall be
found to have little effect it may in after trials be increased to
thirty or forty grains --
The dose is to be given only in the morning & the sweating is to
be carried on through the day when it can be better managed & with
less inconvenience than in the night time
For bearing it more easily Miss J. must have on a flannel
shirt & be laid entirely in blankets. At first & till the sweat breaks
out she may be covered with more blankets than usual & during
the whole time of her sweating her feet & legs may have more covering
than usual but as soon as the sweat breaks out freely, the additional
blankets may be taken of the upper parts of her body, for it is of consiqu
consequence to carry on the sweating with as little heat as possible.
It is proper to make the Dose of powder into a Bolus & let it be
swallowed in a wafer that the taste may raise no squeamishness.
At best the dose is liable to do this and even to cause vomiting which by
throwing up the powder is liable to disappoint us of its effects. For avoiding this
Miss J: should take no kind of drink for an hour or more after taking the powder
& it is not usefull to take any till she pretty warm & some sweat begins to appear
on her face -- Then she may take a little of any ↑weak↑ warm drink & by degrees
take it more freely & frequently while the sweat continues. - The drink
may be Balm or wek weak sage tea or sometimes weak bohea tea or she
may take water gruel or a weak whitewine whey & sometimes a weak
beef tea or chicken water. It will I expect be understood that this variety
is proposed that she may have a drink adapted to her taste and to support her
[Page 2]
spirits & strength if necessary, for a good deal of drink is proper to
make the sweat flow more easily & with less heat from the quantity of
bedcloathes.
When she is first laid to sweat her arms & hands must be kept
close under the bedcloathes and a bottle of warm water or hot bricks
may be put to her feet but as soon as the sweat is established if the
heat is very uneasy, the hot things may be taken from her feet, the
the bedcloaths may be looser & she may put out a hand but all this
only to moderate a great & uneasy heat.
If she can bear it the sweat should be continued for 12 hours,
but it is by no means necesary that a profuse sweat (↑that it↑) should
be a profuse sweat during all that time. It is enough that it
be gentle, especially if it be pretty equal over her whole body
& limbs. When it has continued for ten or twelve hours her
flannel shift & even the blankets next her body may be
changed but with due caution, first drying her skin with warm
towels & taking care that her clean shift is very dry & moderately
warm. After shifting she should continue abed till next morning
but she may lay out her arms & lighten the bedcloathes to avoid
further sweating ---
It will be better that she does not sleep any during the
sweat but at any time she any desire for it she may take a
little bread & broth, a hartshorn jelly melted or a little panada
for her nourishment, & especially what she pleases of these
kinds after the sweat is over.
The night after the sweat she should take care that
she lies pretty close & that the bedcloathes are not anyways
thrown off her. For the next day she should keep her chamber
or otherwise take care that she is not exposed to any cold
If the sweat has proceeded easily & continued the due
time she will be able to judge the effects of it upon her ailments
If she is much healed & gets a headach or if she is much exhausted
with little relief from it I would promise very good effects from
the repeating it once or twice more & I expect it will put her soon
in a good condition to bear a journey to Bath or where she pleases.
[Page 3]
Let care be taken that her belly be regular when she is to try
the sweat & that it be kept regular in the interval of sweatings.
If Miss J gets much (↑the↑) relief I expect by sweating she will not need
to take any any more Bark or other medicine & what will do her most
service will be a Journey.
I believe that moderate bathing with a good deal of exercise
interposed at Bath may be of service service to her but I think the
drinking of Bath water is a doubtfull medcine & to be tried with
great caution
What I think is of the utmost consequence to Miss J.
is the avoiding cold &c.
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